The Year End Manifesto

"Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right"

                                              Oprah Winfrey

 I try...I really try hard to inculcate good food habits (diet) and exercise. This year I have been so focused on living in the moment and being spontaeneous that I have fallen off my "good food habits" bandwagon with some surprising repercussions for me. 

My cholestrol is now out of whack -  when I drill down on the numbers I know what I have to fix  - reduce my LDL cholestrol . I have said Yes! to eating out a lot more this year than the past years, I have been eating white chocolate like there is no tomorrow ( yes! yes! I know 70%+ is recommended...), I have been drinking a lot more white wine ( yup I know Red has all the anti-oxidants) and I have been generally a lot more lax about my eating habits (pizza bring it on, a couple more of those cupcakes should be ok, I will dance it off later...). True, Exercise has been non-negotiable in my life ( and that is reflected in the HDL - good cholestrol going up 14 points this past year) and I have  been working out every single day of the week except Sunday ( I either hike or walk 4 miles on Sunday).

In the words of Dr. Ron Sinha - Indians have unique genetic and cultural issues that predispose us to Type 2 diabetes, abdominal obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and adverse cholesterol numbers -- I want to make sure the odds are in my favor

Here's my  manifesto for 2017 :

1. Limit "some" high fat foods (no more bonne bouche cheese on a regular basis for me, maybe switch back to 1% from 2% milk and limit whole eggs to 4 a week)
2. Eat more fiber rich food ( quinoa, barley, oats, apples, beans) - I used to be pretty good about this - it's about falling back into good habits again.
3. Limit Sugar - this is truely the dagger through my heart ( my secret vice - Lindt White Chocolate Truffles ...how I will miss you!)
4. Add Apple Cider Vinegar first thing in the morning back to my routine ( what brand you ask - try Bragg's with the mother - can be found in Whole Foods)
5. Fast one day a week - I pick Thursday ( why Fast? here's the scientific reason why - read here). I have seen my mother and grandmother do it for spiritual reasons in the past on Thursdays and Mondays...so in my mind its a definite double win.
6. Eat Khichdi at least twice a week ( easy Khichdi recipes with Quinoa are on my blog, if you are wondering how I make it). Khichdi is recommended in Ayurveda as the perfect food to detox your system gently.
7. Exercise 6 days a week and walk/hike on Sundays
8. Limit Caffeine ( Tea/Coffee ) to 1 cup minus the sugar per day
9. Sleep 8 hours a day
10. Meditate 10 minute in the morning and do Pranayama for 15 minutes in the morning. 
11. Practice Yoga at least 3 times a week
12. Eat out twice a week (vs. 4-5 times this year...perspective is a good thing sometimes :) )

In some ways, my reason for putting this on a blog is to hold myself accountable to actually doing this vs. falling off the bandwagon again. Don't get me wrong - I will still eat the delicious desi-chinese at Inchin's or  a turkey burger at St.John's! just not every week :)

It's so true what Hal Borland said that the  - Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

Hope you have a wonderful break and an amazing 2017 !!!